Samuel and Zelda, meanwhile, had it incredibly easy. They would stroll into the office for an hour to show their faces and then vanish, dumping the entire apocalyptic mess squarely into her lap.
But she was no fool. She certainly wasn't here out of the goodness of her heart to clean up their disaster.
The chaos provided the perfect cover for her to execute a covert audit and uncover exactly how many millions her father and Zelda had embezzled over the years.
One afternoon, while deep into a stack of financial reports, her phone shattered the silence.
It was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Is this Ms. Simmons? I'm calling from the legal department at The Sullivan Group. Regarding the patent renewal, our boss would like to arrange a face-to-face meeting with you."
Her tone turned to ice. "I already gave my answer. I am not renewing. If you have anything else to say, have your lawyers contact mine."
"Ma'am, Mr. Sullivan insisted that the terms are highly negotiable. If you would just consider—"
"There is nothing to negotiate," she snapped, instantly hanging up.
Little Bean was fuming. *Sebastian is such a pest! You already said no, and he's still harassing you!*
She rubbed her belly gently. *Ignore him. His fragile ego just can't handle rejection.*
*Do you think he regrets it?* the little guy asked softly.
Seraphina paused for a second before letting out a soft laugh. *Regret? A man like him only regrets what he fails to conquer. He never mourns what he drove away.*
*What does that mean?*
*It means he doesn't actually value me. He just hates seeing me thrive without him. His only true obsession is stripping me of my equity and forcing the patent renewal,* she explained. *He's a parasite. We don't waste energy on him.*
Little Bean let out a small, semi-comprehending *Oh*.
She returned to her reports, but unbidden, Lucian slipped into her mind.
That dangerous, powerful man who never wasted time on sweet nothings, yet miraculously appeared to shield her the exact second she needed him.
Driving her to work, waiting patiently at the door, quietly enforcing boundaries so she wouldn't exhaust herself...
She shook her head violently, attempting to purge the dangerous warmth flooding her chest.
*It's just a contract,* she reminded herself harshly. *A business transaction.*
But in a dark, quiet corner of her heart, something delicate was already taking root.



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